In the Subway
by thwipster808
Summary: AUctober 2019: Oct. 12 – "Musician" Nico wanders the subway and finds a melodic musician.


**A/N: I love music but I don't know about music, you know?**

It was mid-afternoon when Nico found himself below the streets in the New York subway system. He had the day off, so he spent it wandering the city, finding new quiet places, exploring new eateries, and, his favorite, people-watching. Nico wasn't much of a people person, but he was definitely a people-watcher. Not in a creepy way, more of an observational trying-to-figure-people-out kind of way, because they really made no sense to Nico.

The subway was one of his favorite places. It was gross and dirty in a lot of stations, sure, but the people were just so interesting. The subway seemed to be this weird _other_ dimension where people didn't care about social norms, only getting from one place to another. He's seen the most wacky things in the subway, like a group of owl-owners _with their owls_, someone using a plunger to stick to the ceiling and hold on to, or that one time during some convention where a flood of masked druid-type people filled a train car. That was a bit scary.

Subway stations were filled with a different type of people. These were all moving, all headed somewhere, and somehow all of them were late. Sometimes, Nico would just sit on a bench and watch people go by. No one paid him any mind, and that's really what he loved about New York. People minded their own business and dealt with whatever came their way. They were a hardy type of people out here, and Nico was all about it.

His favorite aspect of subway stations were the musicians. He'd heard violins, tubas, accordions, guitars, you name it. Nico had probably heard instruments from all around the world by now. Some people were good, some were bad, but they all put themselves out there, and that had always impressed Nico. He's sure to have cash and change on him whenever he's out like this, purely for the musicians he passed. The grateful nods and smiles he got in return made him wish humanity in general was this thankful for the small things in life.

On this particular day in the subway system, Nico heard something vaguely familiar drifting down one of the corridors. It's a simple acoustic guitar, accompanied by a sweet and soft voice. Nico wasn't quite sure, but there's something about the song that drew him toward it.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he saw him. A tall, shaggy blond man seemingly around his age with a well-loved guitar. The man looked pretty cleaned up, even in his basic flannel, white t-shirt, and dark blue jeans. He was singing with his eyes closed as Nico took a seat on a bench across the corridor from him. The song seemed to be winding down, so Nico cast his gaze around as he waited for the next song to start. People were moving back and forth, not even glancing at the musician or Nico. But when Nico looked back, he found the man's bright blue eyes already locked onto his.

Nico was frozen for a second, suddenly caught by the beauty of the singer. The man smiled, like he knew Nico was there just to hear him play. He cleared his throat and looked back at his guitar to adjust his capo. Instead of introducing himself or the song, the man began softly picking a sweet melody, the sound coming clearly through his small amp to meet Nico's ears.

When the musician opened his mouth, Nico was captivated. His voice was soft but grew in strength and passion as he built to the chorus. The song was about someone he loved, about the little things you notice about the person you love. There was no heartbreak, no big tone change, no deeper meaning. It was simple, in both melody and content, matching the man's voice well while still showcasing his musical talent.

When the bridge hit, Nico had a feeling he knew why this guy sounded vaguely familiar. It was a bit of a long shot, but it was the only thing that made sense.

The song ended, and Nico found himself crossing the room immediately. The man looked up from his guitar as he approached.

"Hey," Nico said.

"Hi there!" the man greeted enthusiastically. Usually, Nico would find that level of energy exhausting, but it matched this guy in that inner puppy dog kind of way.

"Um," Now that he thought about it, Nico didn't usually engage the musicians in the subway. "I, uh, really liked your song. You wrote it?"

"Yeah!" The man set his guitar in its stand and stood up straighter, making Nico feel even shorter. "I write and perform my own songs. Hope to be a known musician someday," he shrugged.

Nico cocked an eyebrow. "Ah I see. So, you don't have a record label yet? Your sound seems pretty polished, and you don't really look like you're from around here, no offense."

The man laughed, loud and bright. Nico may have melted a little as it echoed around him. "Nah, I feel like it's pretty obvious. I moved here a couple months ago. And," he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I actually do have a record deal. How could you tell? You know about music?"

Nico shrugged. "I've got friends in the music industry, so I know some stuff. I'm not a musician," he said quickly when Will opened his mouth. "I just really like music. So anyway, if you have a deal, why are you playing down here? Aren't these songs for your album or whatever?"

"Well…" the man drew out. "I mean, yeah. I guess I didn't ask permission to play, whoops. It's just, the New York Subway, you know? I had to play here, just to see what it's like."

Nico shook his head while chuckling. "You better watch yourself. New York can be dangerous. Plus, I don't think Piper will be happy that you gave out your music for free."

"Well—wait what?! You know Piper?" The shock on the guy's face was incredibly satisfying to Nico.

"Yeah, she's my friend. I thought your music sounded familiar. She had me listen to her 'new client' one time and, yeah, I thought the music was great. I, uh, I think live, you also sound pretty good."

The man grinned widely. "Thank you! Oh man, that's so cool that you know Piper! Oh, um, if you could not tell her I was playing here today, I'd appreciate it. She kind of intimidates me," he laughed.

"Right, I get it. Don't worry, she loves you, she's just also serious about her work."

"Yeah."

Nico and the musician stared at each other for a few seconds, remnants of a smile on both of their faces. Luckily, they were so distracted by each other that neither noticed the awkward silence for a moment. The ringing of Will's phone broke the spell.

"Oh, uh, hello?" The singer smiled apologetically at Nico. "Oh, Piper! Hi! Yeah, I'll be there later today… where am I now? Um…" He looked worriedly at Nico, who helpfully shrugged in response. "I'm… at home?" This man couldn't lie, apparently. "No, I—uh… yeah I am… but—actually I met—okay, okay, I'll leave. Yeah… alright, see you later… bye."

The man hung up the phone and Nico smirked, "So what, fired?"

He laughed, "Not quite. But I'm sure she'll rip me a new one in a couple hours. Oh well, I got my experience."

Nico snickered and shook his head. "Alright, well, I'll let you pack up. Hopefully, I'll be hearing more of your music soon." Nico turned to leave, realizing that he didn't even know the guy's name, or get his number, but he already turned around and—

"Wait!" The man had grabbed Nico's wrist. "I don't know your name! I'm Will Solace." He let go when Nico turned back and stuck his hand out. Nico stared at it for a second before his brain caught up and he shook it.

"Nico. Di Angelo."

Will's grin could have powered a city. Nico knew he would have fans instantaneously when he released his music.

"Nice to meet you, Nico." His name sounded so nice in Will's melodic voice. "I'd love to see you again soon?"

Nico smiled, small and genuine. "I'd like that."


End file.
